Frame for securing a pocket square

ABSTRACT

A frame for a pocket square comprises a rigid or resilient body, one or more apertures passing through the body, and a first magnetic portion, which may be a magnet or metallic element. A keeper includes a second magnetic portion in magnetic cooperation with the first magnetic region. In use, a user entwines a handkerchief around and through the frame body, inserts the frame in a clothing pocket, and locates the keeper opposite the first magnetic region to trap an intermediate layer of fabric between the first magnetic region and the second magnetic region, thereby securing the pocket square in a desire location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/662,669, filed on Apr. 25, 2018, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The field of this invention is fashion accessories and more particularly to an apparatus to secure and display pocket squares or handkerchiefs.

One popular fashion accessory, particularly but not exclusively for men, is a handkerchief. A handkerchief, sometimes also called a “hankie” or a “handkercher,” is a form of a kerchief or bandanna, typically approximately square of soft, thin fabric such as silk or rayon. The use of handkerchiefs dates back to Greece and Roman times. Handkerchiefs may be made from a plain fabric or, in modern times, a highly decorated fabric. More recently, handkerchief have become a popular fashion accessory and are worn to complement other clothing items, such as shirts, ties, or hats. A handkerchief used primarily as a decorative accessory in a suit pocket often is called a pocket square. A pocket square most commonly is displayed as extending outside the breast pocket of a suit coat, blazer, or jacket.

Pocket squares may be folded and displayed in many different configurations in order to achieve the desired appearance or style. In some configurations, a folded edge of the square may be displayed extending horizontally slightly above the edge of the breast pocket of a suit coat, jacket, or blazer. In other configurations, the corners of the pocket square may be displayed projecting upward above the breast pocket. A myriad of other configurations is possible, each configuration requiring the pocket square to be folded and held in place in the wearer's breast pocket.

Prior apparatus to facilitate the display of pocket squares have been unsuccessful. One approach, such as the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,702, is a simple card with apertures allowing a pocket square to be draped over the card or threaded through openings in the card. Those references do not disclose the use of a magnet to hold the card in place during use, when the pocket square tends to shift or move in the pocket. Another approach, such as the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,516,903 B1, is to permanently fold a handkerchief or portion of a handkerchief and permanently adhere the fabric to a card held in place with a magnet or clip. These references do not disclose a frame apparatus that can be reused to secure multiple alternative pocket squares, depending on the fashion choices of the user.

A need exists for a frame apparatus to hold a pocket square securely for display. The frame could be lightweight and with multiple apertures to accommodate different varied configurations for folding pocket squares. The frame could be firmly fixed in place in the pocket of the user, using one or more magnets.

SUMMARY

A pocket square frame apparatus is disclosed. The pocket square frame comprises a frame made of a thin slab with two opposing planar surfaces and having a first edge, an aperture passing through the two opposing planar surfaces, the aperture being sized and configured to hold a folded pocket square in a fixed configuration selected by the user, and a first magnetic portion. The pocket square frame apparatus also comprises a keeper piece comprising a second magnetic portion in magnetic cooperation with the first magnetic portion. In use, the first magnetic portion engages the second magnetic portion through an intermediate fabric layer to hold the pocket square frame in a fixed position in a clothing pocket. The thin slab of the pocket square may be rectangular. The thin slab may have one or more rounded corners. The first magnetic region may be a rare earth magnet. The second magnetic region may be a rare earth magnet. The first magnetic region may comprise a metallic material. The frame may have two apertures passing through the body. The frame may have three or more apertures passing through the body. The apertures may be slots or circular holes. The apertures may be a combination of slots and circular holes. The slab made the made from an elastomeric material or a polymeric material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the pocket square and frame placed in the breast coat pocket of a jacket.

FIG. 2 is a view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an alternative view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention in a pocket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of practicing the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

A frame for securing a pocket square in a clothing pocket is disclosed.

In one embodiment a frame provides a structure to hold a pocket square 10 in a desired folded position and secure the frame 16 and pocket square 10 at a desired position in a pocket 12. The frame may be any shape suitable for placement in a specific pocket. One common location is the breast pocket of a suit jacket, blazer, or sports coat 14. In one embodiment, the frame 16 is sized to fit easily into the breast pocket 12. Breast pockets vary in size depending on the garment type and tailoring details. Most men's suit coat breast pockets 12 range in size from 3 inches to about 4.5 inches in width and between about 5 inches and 7 inches in depth. The hem of the pocket opening can be either horizontal or angled. Breast pockets on women's and children's jackets are generally substantially smaller in size. Since the pocket dimensions may vary significantly from one garment to the next, the frame 16 may be sized to fit easily in a variety of pockets. The size of the frame 16 should allow the frame and a pocket square 10 to fit comfortably in the breast pocket of the user allowing for some degree of play in order to position the pocket square 10 at the correct height and location to display the pocket square 10 as it extends out of the pocket opening.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the frame 16 may have a body 18 comprising a slab generally rectangular in shape, with a first dimension of approximately 5 inches corresponding to the height of the frame when located in a pocket and a second dimension of approximately 3.5 inches corresponding to the width of the frame when located in the pocket. Alternatively, a frame 16 may have any dimensions corresponding roughly to the size of the desired pocket 12, but undersized to allow insertion into the pocket 12. The frame 16 has at least one straight edge, corresponding to an edge that can be placed at or near the top of the clothing pocket. Other edges may also be straight in other embodiments. In one version, the frame is a rectangle with all four sides comprising straight edges. The slab may have two planar surfaces 20 on opposing sides of the slab.

The corners 22 of the slab that forms the body of the frame should be rounded in order to allow easy insertion and removal from a pocket 12 without catching on the pocket lining 24. In one embodiment, the corners have a radius of 0.50 inches. In addition, in some embodiments the edges and corners of the slab may be eased with a slight rounding. In other embodiments either eased edges or sharp edges may be desirable depending on the effect sought to be created by the folded and pleated handkerchief.

The frame 16 will have a thickness. The frame should be thick enough to allow the stable positioning of the pocket square in a preferred location. In some embodiments, the slab forming the body 18 of the frame may have a thickness of approximately 0.25 inches, while other embodiments may have thicknesses ranging from approximately 0.0625 inches to approximately 0.75 inches. In other embodiments, the body 18 may have variable thickness, such as when the interior of the slab is thinner than the perimeter edges, or where the top of the slab that extends beyond the edge of the jacket pocket, is thicker than the remainder of the slab.

The pocket square frame 16 can be made of any suitable material. The material can be rigid or resilient. In some embodiments the frame may be made of a polymeric material. In other embodiments the frame made be made of metal, plastic, wood, paper or other solid materials. In some embodiments the frame body 18 will form a slab of solid material. In other embodiments the frame body 18 may be a hollow slab. In some embodiments the frame 16 will be made of a lightweight material, in order to reduce any pulling or shifting of the frame 16 in the clothing pocket.

The frame 16 may be made by any method of manufacture, including molding and 3D printing. If the frame 16 body is intended to be hollow, blow molding techniques may be appropriate. The frame 16 body may be composed of multiple pieces joined or bonded together to form a single slab. The slab may be coated with a suitable finish, such as rubber or a flocked surface. In some embodiments, the slab may be decorated with a design pattern or engraving.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame will have at least one, and preferably multiple, apertures 24 passing completely through the frame 16 body. The apertures 24 may be slots, circular holes, or other shapes, and may comprise a combination of different shapes. The apertures 24 are sized to accept a handkerchief of different fabric thicknesses. Since most handkerchiefs are made of silk, rayon, or similar thin and supple fabric materials, the apertures 24 generally are small, with holes ranging from approximately 0.500 to approximately 1.500 inches in diameter, and slots with lengths ranging from approximately 1.500 to approximately 3 inches. In one embodiment the body 18 is a slab with dimensions of approximately 4.25 inches in length, approximately 3.125 inches in width, a slab thickness of approximately 0.125 inches, and two horizontal slots 24 measuring approximately 2 inches in length. Other arrangements of slots and circular holes are appropriate depending on how the handkerchief will be folded for display.

The frame body has a first magnetic portion 26. The first magnetic portion 26 may be a magnet disposed within the body and positioned into a recess in the body slab 18 so that a surface of the magnet is flush with a planar surface of the frame 20. In other embodiments, the magnetic material may be a core or other layer of the frame body. Thus, the first magnetic portion 26 may extend to a specific portion, or to essentially the entire surface of the frame body 18. The first magnetic portion 26 may be a metallic surface with a high interactivity with magnets. In some embodiments the first magnetic portion 26 is a magnet with a pole oriented to complement the second magnetic portion located in the keeper piece 28.

The pocket square frame apparatus also includes a keeper piece 28 which interacts magnetically with the slab body of the frame 18. The keeper piece 28 includes a second magnetic portion, which usually will be a magnet enclosed in a small holder. The keeper piece 28 may be an uncoated magnet or, in some embodiments, a magnet coated with a rubber or other suitable finish.

At least one of the first 26 or second magnetic regions 28 should be a magnet with sufficient holding force to prevent the pocket square frame 18 from moving in the pocket 12, so that the pocket square will be displayed in the position selected by the user. In most applications, the first magnetic portion 26 will be separated from the second magnetic portion 28 by at least one intervening layer of fabric 30. In some applications, the intervening fabric 30 may include multiple fabrics, such as the pocket lining, the coat fabric material, and a coat interior lining. As a result, the magnets should have a field remanence (Br), which measures the strength of the magnetic field, of at least 0.5 tesla, and preferably with a field strength of about 0.75 teslas to about 1.0 teslas. In some embodiments, at least one of the first magnetic portion 26 and the second magnetic portion 28 is a rare-earth magnet, the strongest type of permanent magnets generally available, producing stronger magnetic fields than similarly-sized magnets of other types such as ferrite or alnico magnets. There are two types: neodymium magnets and samarium-cobalt magnets.

In use, a user first separates the frame 18 from the keeper 28. A handkerchief 10 is then folded and entwined among the apertures 24 and edges of the frame 18. The exact path the handkerchief 10 takes through and around the apertures 24 in the frame 18 are within the design choices of the user.

The user then inserts the pocket square and frame 18 into the desired pocket 12 and positions it so that the desired amount of the pocket square is displayed above the pocket opening. The user then locates the keeper 28 and places it in the interior of the jacket 14 opposite the first magnetic portion 26 so that an intermediate fabric layer 30 comes between the first magnetic portion 24 of the frame and the second magnetic portion of the keeper 26. The attractive force of the magnets will cause the intermediate fabric layer 30 to become trapped, thereby securely holding the pocket square in place.

To remove the pocket square, the user locates the keeper 28 in the interior of the jacket 14 and separates it from the frame 18. The frame 18 then can be easily removed through the pocket opening.

With respect to the above, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components listed or the steps set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the disclosed invention are capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways that would be readily known to those skilled in the art, given the present disclosure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as in any way limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may be utilized as a basis for designing other inventions with similar properties. It is important therefore that the embodiments, objects, and claims herein, be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. However, like parts do not always have like reference numerals. Moreover, all illustrations are intended to convey concepts, where relative sizes, shapes and other detailed attributes may be illustrated schematically rather than literally or precisely. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pocket square frame apparatus comprising: a frame comprising a thin slab with two opposing planar surfaces, an aperture passing through the two opposing planar surfaces sized and configured to hold a folded pocket square in a fixed configuration, and a first magnetic portion; and a keeper comprising a second magnetic portion in magnetic cooperation with the first magnetic portion; whereby the first magnetic portion is configured to magnetically engage the second magnetic portion through an intermediate fabric layer to secure the frame in a fixed position in a clothing pocket.
 2. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the slab is rectangular.
 3. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the slab has a rounded corner.
 4. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic region is a rare-earth magnet.
 5. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second magnetic region is a rare-earth magnet.
 6. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first magnetic region comprises a metallic material.
 7. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame has two apertures through the two opposing planar surfaces.
 8. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame has three apertures through the two opposing planar surfaces.
 9. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture in the frame is a slot.
 10. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture in the frame is a circular hole.
 11. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body of the frame comprises an elastomeric material.
 12. The pocket square frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body of the frame comprises a polymeric material.
 13. A pocket square frame apparatus comprising: a frame comprising a thin slab with two opposing surfaces, a first slot and a second slot through the two opposing surfaces sized and configured to hold a folded pocket square in a fixed configuration, and a first magnetic portion; and a keeper comprising a second magnetic portion in magnetic cooperation with the first magnetic portion; whereby the first magnetic portion magnetically engages the second magnetic portion through an intermediate fabric layer to secure the frame in a fixed position in a clothing pocket. 